The Boston Celtics (36-15), the NBA’s top shooting defense, will meet the New York Knicks (23-28) at TD Garden. The Over/Under (O/U) for the game opened at 208 points with Boston set as a 9-point favorite. Tip-off is set for 8 p.m. ET on Wednesday, January 31, 2018, and it can be seen on ESPN.
New York Knicks at Boston Celtics ATS Preview
The Knicks were victorious over the Brooklyn Nets in their last matchup, 111-95. With 20 points, 20 rebounds and five assists, Enes Kanter had a solid performance for New York. New York dominated every stat category in the game. They had a superb turnover percentage of 9.9 (better than their season average of 13.5) and a free throw rate of 0.225 (above their season average of 0.186). Brooklyn was 15.4 and 0.163, respectively, for those same stats.
The last time the Celtics played, they defeated the Denver Nuggets, 111-110. With 27 points on 11-for-17 shooting, Kyrie Irving was the games high scorer. The Celtics had a great effective field goal percentage of 0.566 (above their season average of 0.516) and had a turnover percentage of 8.6 (better than their season average of 12.6).
Boston appears to have the edge on the defensive side of the ball. The Celtics currently rank first in effective field goal percentage allowed (0.485), while New York is 14th in effective field goal percentage (0.519).
Of New York’s 50 games that accepted bets, 27 have finished over the O/U total, while 26 of Boston’s 51 games have finished under the projected point total. The Celtics come into this game with a substantial advantage in both straight up (SU) and against the spread (ATS) records. They are 36-15 SU and 30-19-2 ATS, while the Knicks are 23-28 SU and 26-24 ATS.
Both teams have had a player heat up over their last five games. For the Knicks, it’s been Kanter, who has averaged 16.0 points and 9.8 rebounds, while the Celtics have received great contributions from Irving (31.4 points, 5.4 rebounds and 4.4 assists).
These two teams have met twice already this year, each winning once. In the most recent matchup, Michael Beasley scored a game-high 32 points and the Knicks defeated the Celtics 102-93, covering as 2.5-point underdogs. He also had 12 rebounds. The two teams combined to score 195 points, which was 9 points below the projected point total of 204 points. The Knicks played a nearly flawless game. They had a solid free throw rate of 0.278 and a solid offensive rebounding percentage of 29.7. For those same stats, the Celtics recorded marks of 0.163 and 19.1, respectively.
New York Knicks vs. Boston Celtics Prediction
Free Prediction: SU Winner – Knicks, ATS Winner – Knicks, O/U – Over
Betting Notes:
- The Knicks rank fifth in second chance points per game (13.7) while the Celtics rank 22nd (11.4).
- New York averages 44.1 rebounds per game, which ranks 12th in the league. Boston ranks 23rd in rebounds allowed per game (44.2).
- New York ranks fourth in blocks per game (5.4) while Boston ranks 18th (4.7).
- New York ranks 21st in points off turnovers per game (15.6) while Boston ranks 28th (14.3).
- New York is 11-15 ATS on the road with 15 overs, 10 unders and 1 push.
- At home, Boston is 13-11-2 ATS with 13 overs and 13 unders.
- In games where they hold opponents under 100 points, Boston is 24-2 and New York is 11-1.
- In games where they reach 100 points, the Celtics are 26-7 and the Knicks are 22-16.
- The Celtics rank third in assists allowed per game (20.2) while the Knicks rank 16th (23.0).
- Boston ranks fourth in three pointers attempted per game (31.8) while New York ranks 29th (21.8).
- The Knicks rank ninth in points in the paint per game (46.7) while the Celtics rank 28th (39.1).
- The Celtics rank fifth in fast break points allowed per game (9.7) while the Knicks rank 13th (11.2).
- Boston ranks fourth in steals allowed per game (7.0) while New York ranks 21st (8.2).
Betting Trends:
- Boston is 3-2 ATS with 3 overs and 2 unders in their last five games.
- Over their last five games, New York is 3-2 ATS with 4 overs and 1 under.
- The Celtics have been outscored by an average of 0.2 points in their last five games. On the season, Boston has defeated opponents by an average of 4.3 points.
- During their last five games, the Knicks have scored an average of 111.0 points per game (5.9 above their season average) and allowed an average of 112.0 points per game (6.1 above their season average).
